BOSTON – It took eight weeks for cornerback Leon McFadden to gain enough trust from Ray Horton to play one down. It required another month of prep work to earn more than two snaps in a game.

As some Browns fans wondered if their third-round draft pick would ever see the field, McFadden was attending 7:30 a.m. meetings for reserve defensive backs and staying after practice to hone his footwork and technique with position coaches.

It’s been a humbling apprenticeship, one which has included buying sunflower seeds and coffee for a group of young defensive backs that convenes before the veterans arrive at the facility. It’s not glamorous stuff, but player development rarely is.

“I believe you’re accountable to your teammates and I have to be able to trust you,” said Horton, the Browns defensive coordinator. “(McFadden) has that now. He has my trust to go into a game, he’s prepared hard, he’s worked hard and he’s earned his chance to play.”

Every 53-man roster is divided into two groups – the one fans see regularly on Sundays and the one striving to be seen. While most attention is paid to starters and key reserves, successful franchises identify and cultivate talent in that second group. Organizations like Baltimore, Pittsburgh and New England have been plugging in players for years.

The Browns have been too busy losing and changing regimes to establish much continuity. But Horton, who spent seven seasons with the Steelers, has witnessed the value of player development.

“I think, really when you base a winning franchise on something, it’s probably a system,” he said. “The players come in, you try to get players to match your system and you try to get good, smart players that are somewhat interchangeable, because at some point somebody is going to get hurt or they’re going to graduate to another team or retirement. That’s the life blood of your team is getting good, young players to come in and play.”

View full sizeThe Browns brain trust, including Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer and Joe Banner, has been aggressive in making waiver claims. But their decision not to act quickly on acquiring a backup quarterback drew criticism. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

As McFadden readies for his first true test Sunday in New England against the Patriots, the Browns continue to work with others reserves and troll for talent in the waiver pool and on the practice squads of other teams. The bottom of the roster remains in a constant state of flux as players are signed, cut and sometimes re-signed – think receiver Tori Gurley.

This practice has drawn some criticism, especially in recent weeks as the Browns, who at one point had 12 offensive linemen on the roster, did not immediately add a quarterback after Brian Hoyer suffered a season-ending knee injury Oct. 3. Concussions to Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden in consecutive weeks forced the team to hurriedly acquire Alex Tanney and Caleb Hanie, who have had little prep time with the Browns. The club is fortunate that Campbell has been cleared to return and will play Sunday.

But look for the organization to stay aggressive in the waiver market even as management concedes it will miss a lot more times than it hits on such players.

Browns CEO Joe Banner said the Eagles, his former employer the past two decades, did a study several years ago tracking the NFL entry point of Pro Bowlers. Not surprisingly, most came from players selected in a draft’s first round. The next group was second rounders. After that, however, the third wave was undrafted free agents.

It’s believed the Browns view defensive back Jordan Poyer, who’s now returning punts, as a legitimate prospect. They’re also eager to get safety Josh Aubrey (ankle) and guard Chris Faulk (knee) ready for next season.

The club claimed Poyer off waivers Oct. 21 from Philadelphia, who drafted him in the seventh round. Aubrey and Faulk were part of the initial cluster of undrafted free agents signed in April.

“It’s a matter of going out and finding it, bringing it in the house even though it’s a little dusty and dirty,” Browns assistant general manager Ray Farmer said of acquiring lesser-known talent. “The coaches dust it off and polish it up. One day you come in the house and say, ‘That’s a good looking piece of furniture there. Where did you get it?’ It’s a matter of uncovering things others don’t want to uncover.”

Sometimes, teams must also work to polish the skills of players they drafted.

Taking a step back

Unlike baseball, hockey and basketball, there is no minor league for NFL teams to incubate prospects. So when McFadden fell behind in training camp due to a groin injury and played poorly in exhibition games against Indianapolis and Chicago, the Browns chose the remedial route rather than exposing him in the regular season.

“There’s a confidence level involved,” secondary coach Louie Cioffi said. “You don’t want your guys to go out there and not succeed because the damage cannot be overturned.”

The Browns' best success rate has come at their deepest position -- defensive line. Seventh-round pick Armonty Bryant has been eased into the rotation and shown flashes of quality play. The secondary has been better than anticipated and the development of cornerback Buster Skrine has mitigated the struggles of McFadden.

View full sizeThe Browns have been able to ease Armonty Bryant into the lineup because they are deep at defensive line.John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

Some assumed the San Diego State product would beat out Skrine and Chris Owens in training camp. But the injury coupled with technique flaws took him out of the competition. The 5-foot-9, 195-pounder said he’s worked to improve his acceleration out of breaks and defending against three-step drops by quarterbacks.

“It’s been eyes forward, run my race and compete every day to try to get back on the field somehow,” McFadden said.

Beyond extra practice reps, he’s among the early-rising defensive backs who meet in small groups with Cioffi and his assistant Bobby Babich. Each week a different youngster is charged with the task of supplying coffee and sunflower seeds.

The meetings are informal and free flowing. Coaches preview the day ahead and answer questions the reserves might feel too inhibited to ask in front of veterans.

“They can get a jump on what’s going on, what they’re working on for the day, but it’s much more interactive, much more user friendly,” Cioffi said.

Each position group offers similar opportunities. Assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan said his prospects get an addition 25 minutes of on-field work before adjourning to the film room where coaches critique their scout-team effort against the first-unit defense.

For offensive lineman Reid Fragel, signed off Cincinnati’s practice squad on Oct. 29, the bonus time is important as he tries to learn a new system.

Poyer made a similar observation. He felt overwhelmed a week after arriving in Berea. The All-America cornerback from Oregon State has had a difficult year, one that included a May arrest for second-degree trespassing after an incident at a campus bar.

But the 6-foot, 191-pound defensive back has made an impression with the Browns. Several veterans said he’s been noticeable in practice and last week he contributed a 38-yard punt return in the 32-28 loss to Jacksonville.

“I expect myself to be able to go out there and make plays when my name is called,” Poyer said. “I don’t fear anything when I go out on the football field because at the end of the day it’s just a game.”

Opportunity knocks

In a league with large rosters, young players don’t need to look hard for inspiration. Poyer points to undrafted free agent safety Tashaun Gipson. While in Cincinnati, Fragel learned the story of center Kyle Cook, who went from practice-squad player to starter.

The Browns had a success story slip through their grasp earlier in the season. They claimed running back Bobby Rainey off waivers from Baltimore on Sept. 1 only to release him six weeks later.

Rainey has rushed for 306 yards in four games with Tampa Bay. Maybe the second-year back won’t remain productive, but he’s helped the Buccaneers win three times without costing them a draft pick or substantial free-agent money.

View full sizeDiminutive running back Bobby Rainey has flourished since being released by the Browns.Associated Press

Browns tight end Jordan Cameron, who spent two seasons as a reserve, said it’s what prospects do when the coaches aren’t watching that’s so important.

“You’ve got to buy into the process,” Cameron said. “It’s hard sometimes and it’s not always going to go your way. These last couple years have been a grind. You’re waiting and wondering, ‘Am I going to get my chance?’

“The main thing is working when you don’t want to do it. When you’re body hurts and you’re tired. You’ve got to prepare for your opportunity.”

It’s here now for McFadden, who played 10 snaps against Pittsburgh and a season-high 31 snaps last week – most of them coming before the Browns lost Owens to a season-ending knee injury.

“Is it hard for certain positions because of what it takes to play mentally or physically?” Horton asked rhetorically. “It can be, and I believe defensive back is because if you make a mistake it’s always points or yards. So for me it’s a very critical position to be trusted and be accountable and he’s earned that now.”

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